De Haas tells Parliament PKTT is abusive, unaccountable and feared
'People Living in Fear': Professor Mary de Haas Testimony Exposes Failings in Political Killings Task Team
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In a tense hearing before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Tuesday, Professor Mary De Haas delivered a blistering critique of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), a unit established to investigate political murders, primarily in KwaZulu-Natal.
An established violence monitor and long-time analyst of political violence, De Haas spoke candidly about alleged abuses, lack of transparency, and operational failures within the embattled unit.
The Committee is investigating explosive claims made by Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who alleged that a criminal syndicate known as the “big five” has infiltrated the police.
Mkhwanazi also noted that De Haas had been “very vocal” about dissolving the province’s PKTT.
De Haas revealed that many cases were arbitrarily designated as “political killings” without clear criteria.
“I have never known how they define the cases... I have heard they’ve taken dockets that have nothing, as far as I am aware, to do with politics,” she said.
“I have no idea what base they were working from, so it’s impossible to say what percentage of that you have to stop the universe - who are you describing, where are the dockets?”
She recounted disturbing reports from community members and police officers alike, citing physical and psychological abuse by task team members, illegal seizures of personal phones without court orders, and widespread fabrication of evidence.
“I heard alarming stories of physical abuse... emotional, psychological abuse... It’s almost the norm from what everybody will encounter,” De Haas said, describing the cruel treatment of witnesses and suspects.
One notable case allegedly involved police officers at a station in the south of Durban, who according to De Haas were wrongly arrested and charged with political killings despite strong alibi evidence.
She stated that after years of protracted legal battles with no evidence produced, the officers remain imprisoned.
“People are living in fear of the task team itself,” she stressed, calling for its immediate disbandment.
De Haas recommended reintegrating its investigators into traditional detective units and proposed a judicial oversight mechanism led by a retired judge to enhance accountability.
MK Party MP David Skhosana expressed frustration over De Haas’s refusal to name individual sources, while ANC MP Xolani Nqola urged greater transparency to verify claims.
De Haas reiterated her strict commitment to confidentiality, noting that many allegations are already on public record.
As the Committee continues to unravel these complex issues, all eyes remain on De Haas’s testimony for further clarity on the future of the PKTT and efforts to restore integrity within KwaZulu-Natal’s police structures.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
IOL Politics